As the Summer Sun Sets- Chapter one: Rushing Water
by Spiral
Summary: Animorphs go to a summer party! pt.1 of a series Please read it's my first fic so be gentle :)


As the Summer Sun Sets 

Note: Animorphs don't belong to me...I'm not K.A. Applegate or anywhere near as good of a write as she is. I'm just a fan who was grounded and got bored...sorry if anyone gets offended by this or thinks it seriously sucks! 

Chapter One "Rushing Water" 

My name is Marco. 

And yes, to all my screaming fans...the Marco. No autographs please! 

You may of heard of me. You may even heard of the other superheroes: Jake, Rachel, Tobias, Cassie, and Ax. But of course, no one compares to Mighty Marco! 

We are a little something known as the Animorphs. I thought of that, isn't that so clever? Isn't that fabulous? It's short for: "Hey yo! Ummm, we're the only known force on earth that are fighting this parasitic alien race called Yeerks. Yeah, anyone could be one! Your mother, your father, your brother, your sister, your best friend, that policeman, that teacher! The list goes on, bud! Anyways, we're saving your butts by turning into any animal by touch. It's called morphing! On any given weekend, we go try to beat down some old washed-out Super Yeerk named Visser Three. We get a little bruised up...but no problem! We're risking our lives to free your's and every known Controller (a sentinent creature that is controlled by a Yeerk) is on us. Where'd we get the power to 'morph' you say? Oh, just from a dying alien that we happened to go by as we were illegally walking through some abandoned construction site. But anyways, how's your life?" 

Aren't you glad we shortened it to Animorphs? 

Anyways, about those Yeerks that I mentioned. Yes, everything that I said was true. We're risking our lives by fighting against these little slugs from some faraway planet. If I would've just seen one crawling around and been told "Hey, this is your advisary...watch out!" I'd laugh. These things are not big...they're about the size of a wad of chewed tobacco. They look like it too. 

But after I knew what they were capable of, I'd stop laughing. These slugs take over innocent beings. They infested many races: the Gedds, the Hork-Bajir, and the Taxxons are to name a few...and unfortunately, we're next. 

When you are a Controller, you have no way to do anything. You can't give your girlfriend/boyfriend a hug, you can't smile at your best friend, you can't even tell your Mom or Dad that you love them. They can do anything that they want in your body and the scariest thing is is that they get your habits and attitude down perfectly. It's very simple for them too. They just open up your memories and read them like a book. It's almost as if they stole your life. 

I know how it feels too. They almost stole mine. My mother was known as the most powerful Yeerk in the whole universe. She was known as Visser One, the big cheese of them all. Maybe a while back, I would've considered her dead because that's what the Yeerk decided her to be...dead among her family and friends. But I found out the truth. Although, that's a different story. 

Jake's brother, Tom, is also one. We almost saved him on occasions but getting the Yeerks outta there is harder than imagined. 

Tobias's father was the dying Andalite, Elfangor, that gave us the power. He was also Ax's, our resident Andalite's, brother. It's a small world after all, huh? Or how about galaxy? 

So that's why we have this motely crew called the Animorphs. Jake for his brother, me for my family, Rachel for the trip, Tobias for his father, Ax for his brother's honor, and Cassie just because she's cares. All of us, though, are in it for all humanity. I know it sounds corny but it's the corny truth. There's only a handful of us, a small little resistence against this evil empire. Some would say that it's totally futile...but we have to at least try. 

Jake's the leader, all brawn no brains. He's my best friend, some say that opposites attract and in this case it's true. While I am average size, extremely cute, cunningly clever, a natrual comedien, and let's even throw in a 'charming'...Jake's a lumbering idiot that slammed his head on a wall one too many times. But of course, that's why we love him. 

Okay, okay. Maybe I'm not average size...and maybe Jake isn't a total idiot. My man, our leader, had made so many life and death decisions that it could last George Washington's whole career. And more. The sad thing is, he's not even half as old as George. 

I hate to admitt it, but without the big guy, we'd be spinning around in circles running into each other. We've already been there and done that. 

Jake's cousin is also in our little group. Her name's Rachel and let me just get this straight: she's a total babe yet way too far on the psycho edge. She's tall, blonde, and supermodely...even though she looks like Miss Helpless and Abercrombie Shopper of the Year, she could, unfortunately, kick my sorry butt any day. I mean, mentioning that I wouldn't dare hit a girl, but she fights to the finish and doesn't give up until you screamed uncle at least two hundred times. 

Her best friend, Cassie, is totally the opposite. While Rachel can keep her mascara unsmudged after getting ran over by a monster truck five times, heck, let's face it, Cassie's probably not even wearing any...or if she was, it was already smeared in the first place. Rachel's Xena: Warrior Princess...and Cassie's Mother Goose. Even if we're getting ready to get into the most dangerous battle in our whole entire existence, Cassie still sits there, calm and collective, shoving a pill down a fox's throat and says, "Oh okay. But try not to kill any innocent bystanders. And oh yeah, afterwards, let's go hug trees and make cookies for the old folk's home." Where does she get that peace? 

Her folks are both vets and they live on a farm. Her barn is usually where we hold our meetings and get some of our firepower. If we need some serious ammo, we just go where her other parent works, at the Gardens. The Gardens is an awesome theme park that's like a zoo and a bunch of rides thrown together. They have animals such as gorillas and tigers in nice spots where we can 'aquire' them. 

In morphing, however, there is one catch. DON'T STAY IN MORPH FOR MORE THAN TWO HOURS. If you do, then your stuck for the rest of your life. If you don't belive me then ask Tobias. He stayed in the morph of a red-tailed hawk for more than the time limit. Maybe it was on purpose...he wasn't always the most happiest kid around. He was shuttled back and forth between an uncle here and an aunt there. Talk about a bummer. But it didn't turn out as bad as it could have. He and Ax keep each other perfect company, off in the forest behind Cassie's barn. Even though I'm pretty sure he's satisfied with his life right now, I still wonder if Tobias considers turning back human permantly. 

Ax, his companion and uncle, is our local alien. We found him under the sea in a dome and ever since then, we've been his 'inferior' friends. Jake's his prince and to Jake's dismay, Ax persistently calls him Prince Jake occasionally. 

If you want to imagine Ax, picture a deer. Okay, you got that? Now turn the deer blue and cut off the it's neck and head and replace it with a human's stomach and chest. Now look at the hands and make them have too many fingers and the arms faintly smaller than our's. After that, stick two eyestalks on the head, along with another pair of eyes where human's are, and get rid of the mouth and flatten the nose. And even better, add a wicked looking scorpion-like tail on his butt. It kind of gives you a headache, huh? 

So that's why we made him aquire a human, in which the human is really a strangley attractive mixture of all us Animorphs. Which brought me to study him with curiousity while we were at Jake's house. 

"Did I ever mention that you look like a pretty boy?" I asked him. 

Ax looked at me and tilted his head. "Yes...I do believe that you have commented on my looks. Looks. Luks. Kkkkks!" he started going into a frenzy with the amazing letter "K". "The way my tongue hits the roof of my mouth as I speak this letter is very pleasurable. Kkkkkkkkkk." 

I rolled my eyes. "Jake!" I yelled up the staircase. "Your stupid friend here is getting very annoying. Will you please etgay imhay awayay omfray emay?" I finished in Pig Latin. For those who don't know what I said, it was simply: Will you please get him away from me? 

Ax looked a little disturbed. "I believe that I am not familiar with that language. Although it does sound familiar to the Jncir's," he said. "Will you please teach me this language? Perhaps give me a book on it?" 

I sighed. This was gonna be long day. 

It was the first day of summer vacation. Some guy named Steve was having a pool party to celebrate school getting out. He likes Rachel and invited her. Rachel said she'd only go if Cassie could go, and Cassie would only go if Jake would, and Jake said he wouldn't go without me, and I, Marco the Magnificent, not wanting to break this chain, demanded Ax being able to go too. Then of course, Ax wanted Tobias to go too which is why we are all having an Animorph's night off altogether. Of course, Steve wasn't exactly thrilled with his because he didn't want me to come. I guess the guy never liked me or something. 

Tobias didn't want to go though. Steve was the jerk who used to pick on him a lot when he was human and he didn't want to cause any trouble, since he and Rachel have a 'thing' for each other. That would make him a big magnet to get picked on. 

I smiled at myself in the mirror on the hallway wall. Hey, what do you know, another cute day for Marco. I tried picking out the best outfit where it showed of my muscles. I flexed and my reflection showed me the money! 

"Show me the money!" I said to myself. I heard someone laugh behind me. 

I kept my pose and turned around. There was Jake. He was wearing a regular Jake-ish outfit, a plain white T-Shirt and shorts. I scoffed. 

"Where's the beater, Jake? Aren't cha gonna show everyone your masculinity? Your man-ish complexion? Your macho-man muscles?" I demanded. 

Jake kept on laughing and I then realized that I was still flexing in the mirror. It looked pretty stupid. Yet I kept my cool. I gently stopped and brushed my fingers through my hair, as if that were my intention the whole time. 

Jake chuckled a bit longer and I waited patiently for him to stop. 

Ax, who isn't that big on knowing human culture, probably didn't know what flexing muscles or anything like that was. He also doesn't have a big sense of humor. That's why he wasn't laughing probably. 

I thought Jake was being very stupid himself. Snorting and giggling like a little school girl. I mean, hello? Wasn't he supposed to be Mr. Role Model? 

"That's quite enough," I shot at Jake, and clapped my hands in front of his face. 

He took a big breath and held it, trying to contain himself. "Your right," he finally said. "We gotta go pick up the girls. We told them that we'd be there five minutes ago." 

Jake was back to his responsible self. "Yeah, well we wouldn't have been late if a certain someone wasn't so immature to laugh the whole day away!" I noted sarcastically. 

He slapped my back. "Marco, my man, let's leave it as it is and not bring it up until the party. C'mon, put your towel in my bag and I'll carry it..." he replied. He should of just left it there but, being Jake, he didn't. "Jerry McGuire!" He cracked up laughing again. It wasn't even that funny. 

I growled. As I said, this was gonna be a looong day. 

We finally made our way to Rachel's house. Rachel, who never went out in public with a hair out of place, was wearing a tank top over a bikini and shorts. Of course, it was all color coordinated and fit her just right. I swear to God, she has her own store where all her clothes are especially made for her. 

Rachel flared up instantly. "Where were you? You are..." she quickly glanced over her shoulder and at a clock. "Eleven minutes late!" 

I blocked myself, half expecting a blow or something. You never knew what could come out of an angry warrior like this blonde who was standing in front of me. 

Cassie came to to the door, wearing her usual overalls. "Rachel, it doesn't matter. I just got ready anyways. We would've been late no matter what. I'm sorry," she said, calmly. Rachel didn't really have anything to say to that. She hardly ever yelled at Cassie. 

It was a hot walk over to Steve's house. I tried making small talk but the sun was beating down on us forcefully and after about three minutes of it, we were all cranky. I could see a sunburn already developing on the back of Jake's neck. It was sure going to be nice taking a dip in a nice, cool pool and drinking ice-cold Coke while working on my tan. Not to mention having bikini-wearing girls hanging all over me. 

"This heat is very disturbing. DisturrrrrbING. Dizzzz. Sturrrrr. BING!" Ax of course. 

"Don't worry, Ax-man. Only a few more minutes," Jake reassured him, rubbing the back of his neck. "Although I'm dying." 

"C'mon, fearless leader," I grunted as I fought the urge to fall over. "Die when we aren't in the heat of battle?" 

Jake trudged along, his bag slung over his shoulder. "This heat is bad enough," he grumbled. 

I turned towards Rachel, who didn't have hair plastered on her forehead by sweat like the rest of us. Actually, she miraculously looked exactly the same why she did after we left her house. 

"So...how are you going to handle Steve?" I asked her. 

Rachel turned her blue eyes towards me. "How do you handle flies?" was her reply. I was too scared to answer her. 

Oh yes. The life of a superhero was swell. With the heat blistering our feet and the sweat drowning us...just another day out for an Animorph. 

Finally, what seemed like hours after, we were standing before Steve's looming house. It was huge! There were a few oak trees scattering his football-sized front lawn and flowers dotting around his driveway. Cassie sighed with relief. 

"Finally," I heard her mutter. I was totally in agreement with her. 

Jake, who was a little ahead of us, stopped and turned around. We all groaned and stopped walking also. Hopefully, he wouldn't get into a speech or anything. 

"Now remember," Jake reminded us. "This is our time off. We're here to just have fun. No morphing...no trouble, agreed?" 

We all nodded. 

"Okay, now let's go!" 

We hurridley walked to the front door. I did the honors of ringing the doorbell. After a few seconds, Steve's mother, a well-managed middle-aged woman answered the door. "Go through the garage to the backyard," she instructed. "Have fun, kids!" 

There were more people there than I thought there would be. About ten guys were hogging the hot tub and more than enough people were squished in the pool. On the grass, some girls were playing with a frisbee and starting a game of volleyball. Another group was hanging around the porch, drinking pop and snarfing hot dogs and Dorito's. It looked like a great time but I felt sort of...chilled. As if something was not right about this picture. 

Cool it, Marco, I reasurred myself. Just let it go...there's nothing wrong here except that it's so normal. 

"Rachel!" a voice boomed. All of our heads turned at the same time and saw Steve and a cheerleader, Carissa Something, jogging towards us. 

He put his arm around Rachel's shoulder. I could tell by the way Rachel's lip curled she wasn't happy with this but he insistently kept it on there. "I thought you'd never come." 

Carissa turned and smiled at Ax's and my way. "Hey Marco," she purred. "Who's your friend?" 

"Ummm..." I started to answer. "A-A-Alex...." 

She smiled at Ax. "Do you go to our school, Alex?" she asked, pouring on the sweetness. 

"No, I do not attend your learning facility," he answered. 

Carissa giggled in a way that made me want to throw up. "Oooh, a smart guy! That turns me on!" 

I groaned and turned around. I grabbed Jake's arm and dragged him over to the snack table with Cassie running behind us. I scooped a Mountain Dew out of the cooler and popped the top. I sensed a shadow looming about me as I chugged the cold, bubbly liquid down my eternally grateful throat. 

"Hey guys!" it was Mike. He played basketball with Jake at one time. I forget when. "I didn't know you were coming," he said. 

Jake smiled. "Well, we weren't originally invited but my cousin brought us with," he answered. 

"Who, Rachel?" 

Jake nodded slowly. "That's the one." 

I could just see the little wheels in Mike's head turning, imagine her in a bikini. Of course, he didn't have a chance with her. But there was still this huge grin on his face. 

"Jeez," I muttered. 

I looked around the area, seeing some familiar faces and some not so familiar. They were all laughing, all having fun. It was so absolutely, positively normal. But for some reason, I still felt a little suspicion grab at my stomach. 

Cassie seemed to have sensed some worry from me. She gave me a sidelong look and asked, "What's wrong Marco?" 

I shrugged, keeping my eyes on my toe trying to squeeze itself in a crevice in the concrete. "I don't know..." I lied. "Just the heat, I guess. 

She nodded, not even halfway believing me. Yeah, like I was going to fool Cassie. Sensing feelings were her specialty. "I don't know...it just seems like your worried or something, that's all," she commented.. 

I shrugged again. "Maybe a little...but you know me. Paranoia, paranoia, everybody's coming to get me," I replied in a singsong voice. "It's nothing, I'm sure." 

Cassie smiled at me. "Don't worry, Marco," she said, loud enough for me to hear but quiet so no one else could. "Nothing's gonna mess this up. Use this time to flirt with..." she scanned the sea of people. "Marlene." 

I chuckled. Yeah, right. Morone Marlene. 

"Sure, she's just my first choice. Her IQ level...mmmm!" 

"Oh Marco..." I thought she said but I wasn't paying attention to her anymore. 

My attention as now on Jake. I saw him out of the corner of my eye. All of a sudden, he started sweating massively and his face was turning really red. He started swaying a bit and I saw his knees wobble. 

"Hey," I said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Are you all right?" 

He put his hand on his forehead, wiping off ten ounces of sweat. "Yeah...but all of the sudden I feel so dizzy...." 

BOOM! I dropped my can of pop as darkness surrounded me, spinning with red swirls and greenish-blue blotches. I saw faint images of gorillas, wolves, and opsreys spiralling outward. Slowly, light started coming back to my senses and I felt as if there was a horse eating my brain right out of my scull. My head was swirling around in a cloud of smoke. This was like a hundred head-rushes mixed with an ice cream headache. It was awful! 

I faintly heard Cassie, crying frantically. "Jake! Marco! I can't see anything!" 

I fell on the ground...hard. It just brought another shock of pain electrocute my brain into numbess. I felt Jake fall beside me and finally, Cassie land on Jake. 

I heard footsteps come up to us...a million voices asking us what was wrong. But my head was pounding too hard to answer! I felt a hand on my shoulder. 

"Prince Jake! Marco! Cassie!" It was Ax. "Are you suffering from severe dizziness and extreme headache?" 

I grabbed Ax's shirt. "Yes! Yes we are! Now, in your wide, superior stupid intelligence, tell me! What is this?" I shrieked. 

"I-I couldn't tell you..." 

My head hurt too much to be angry or frusterated. Instead I asked, "Where's Rachel?" 

"She is with the young human male named Steve," Ax answered. 

I painstakingly opened my eyes and searched. Through red dots dancing before my eyes, I saw Steve running towards the house with the almost unconcious Rachel's arm in his hand. He could've just been trying to help her but the way he was running, the way he was dragging her along...it was almost as if he was trying to sneak past everyone... 

"Stop!" I said. I didn't know if it was loud or if it was just in my head. "Ax! Stop him! Bring her back!" 

Ax hesitated for a moment, looking at Jake, but then he finally got to his feet, which his knees almost buckled instantly. He swayed a few moments and then started staggering over to Steve. 

Steve stopped at his sliding-glass door, one leg in and one leg out. Rachel was now unconcious and Steve turned to smile...at me. That's when I saw the changes start. 

Steve's brown hair started to slowly turn blonde and his facial features started to vaguely change. His blue eyes subtly changed to sienna brown and he got a little smaller, about half an inch shorter. 

When the changes stopped, he started laughing. He laughed and laughed but no one noticed the change. They were either concerned with us or concerned with the party. But this...this concerned me so well that I started to shiver. 

David. 

How? Why? 

"You..." I snarled but then I got interrupted. Interrupted by nothing because all of a sudden, everything was silent... 

Everything stopped. 

Any comments? Opinions? Tips? Threats? Email me at Lil_Princess_88@hotmail.com. Sorry if this was stupid but it's my first one! 


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